Partial maturation and light chain restriction of Abelson virus-transformed B cell precursors

The induction of partial maturation in an in vitro derived Abelson virus-transformed murine lymphoid cell subline (ABC-1/AT1) is described. Pre-B (cytoplasmic, mu chain-positive) lymphocytes were induced from presumptive B cell precursors by prostaglandin E1, butyric acid, lipopolysaccharide and interferon. Maturation was independent of alterations in cellular growth rate and could be achieved in the absence of cell division. The AT1 subline was found to be restricted to the expression of a single light chain type (lambda) indicating a possible B cell lineage-committed precursor as the target for viral transformation.